Can openers



May 7, 1963 A. H. F. PERL 3,088,203

CAN OPENERS Filed April 10, 1961 3,088,203 CAN OPENERS Albert HenryFranks Perl, Norton, Stourhridge, England,

assignor to Joseph Billingham Limited, Cradley Heath,

Stafiordshire, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Apr. 10, 1961,Ser. No. 101,763 Claims priority, application Great Britain Apr. 13,1969 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 30--23) This invention relates to a can opener ofthe scissors type which is provided with a piercing blade to pierce thecan initially and allow a cutting blade of the scissors to be insertedand which has adjacent and at right angles to the piercing blade a hookor hooks. The can opener is applied to the can in such a way that theedge of the can is engaged by the hook or hooks and the piercing bladeis below the level of the hooks and opposite the side of the tin. Topierce the can the opener is rotated about the line of engagement of thehooks and can to force the piercing blade through the wall of the can.Such a can opener is hereinafter referred to as of the kind described.

The present invention consists in a can opener of the kind describedwherein the piercing and cutting blades are both fiat and each isseparate from the other and made without bending by cutting in the formof a blank from sheet or strip metal, the piercing and cutting bladesbeing mounted on the structural members of the can opener.

This invention enables each of the separate components of the can openerto be made from the most suitable materials, for example hardened highcarbon steel for the cutting parts and the hook or hooks and a moreductile steel suitable for press-work for the structural members.Bending and other deformation operations which are difficult andunsatisfactory on hard materials are avoided in the manufacture of thecutting components. The use of these more costly materials can beconfined to components for which they are really necessary and thecutting components can be of relatively simple shape so avoidingcomplications in sharpening.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section of a can opener according to the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a piercing blade.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the can opener in the initial positionfor piercing the wall of the can.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the can opener in the process ofpiercing the Wall of the can.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the can opener cutting the wall of thecan.

The can opener, as shown in the drawings, is of the scissors type andhas a pair of channel section handles 5 and 6 which are pivotallyconnected adjacent one end with the open faces of the channel opposingeach other. The handles 5 and 6 are formed by a pressing operation froma ductile sheet or like metal producing the channel section and curvingthe handles along their length as shown in FIGURE 1, the width of thechannel and the curve of the handles affording a comfortable hand gripfor the user whilst operating the can opener. The first handle member 5has the base of the channel removed aessas Patented May 7, 1963 alongpart of its length producing a bifurcated portion 7 with the two limbshaving parallel outwardly presented substantially right angled edges 8which curve inwards towards the end of the hand to meet the inner edgesof the limbs. pressing operation in such a way that the distance betweenthe outwardly presented edges 8 and the ends of the limbs issubstantially less than the distance between the inner edges of thelimbs and the normal Width of the channel section of the remainder ofthe handle. The second handle member 6 is pivotally connected to thebifurcated end 7 of the first handle member 5- by a rivet 9, whichpasses through holes provided through the Walls of the second handlemember and lugs 10 formed on the inner edges of the first handle member,which extend between the walls of the second handle member and a spacingmember 11 provided between the lugs 10 and the ends of the limbs of thebifurcated portion 7 of the first member.

A cutting blade 12 is pivotally connected at an intermediate point to anintermediate point in the first handle member 5 to oscillate about anaxis 13 and so that it lies between the limbs of the bifurcated portion.This cutting blade 12 is fiat throughout and is made in the form of ablank from high carbon steel sheet, that is to say steel having a carboncontent of between 0.6% and 1.2%, and has an inwardly extending arm 14and an outwardly extending arm 15 with an inwardly presented cuttingedge 16. The cutting edge 16 is knife edged that is, it is ofacute-angle cross-section bounded by oppositely inclined chamferedflanks and is substantially straight for the greater part of its lengthbut near the end of arm 15 it curves outwardly towards the outer edge ofthe arm and meeting that edge to form a point 17 at the end of the arm.A link 18 is pivoted at one end 19 to the free end of the inwardlyextending arm 14 and pivoted at the other end 20 to the second handlemember 6 near its pivotal connection to the first handle member, thusforming a compound linkage between the handles and the cutting blade 12.The link 18 is of channel section having its open side facing thepivotally connected ends of the handles. The outside dimension of thesection is slightly less than the inside dimension of the handles alongthe greater part of its length. The limbs of the portion of the linkadjacent its end 19 are pressed inwardly close to the end of theinwardly extending arm 14 of the blade, which is pivotally connected tothe link between the limbs by a pivot 22, to prevent axial movement ofthe arm between the limbs of the link and the end portion of the base iscut away to provide a recess 21. At the other end 20 of the link thebase of the channel is cut centrally for a length approximately equal tothe depth of the channel section and the two halves of the base soformed are turned back to form extensions of the limbs and leaving arecess 23 in the base of the link the end of which is between the twopivoted axes of the link.

The handles are urged apart by spring means provided by a square sectionbar spring 24 which is anchored at one end 25 to the free end of thesecond handle member. The anchorage is provided by the engagement of theend 25 of the spring, which is curved outwardly to form a shallow hookshaped portion as shown in FIG- URE 1, with an inwardly directed loop 44formed in The bifurcated portion 7 is shaped by the the member between apair of openings 45 cut in the base of the channel of the member. At theother end the spring bears against the end of the recess 23 formed inthe link 18 and extends sufiiciently between the limbs to prevent itsbecoming disengaged. The spring 24 tends to urge the handle membersapart by virtue of its being bent concavely round the curved portion 26of the second handle member between its anchored end and the end whichengages the link. A stop limits the extent of the separating movement ofthe handle members. This is provided by a projection 27 which is formedat the end of the inwardly extending arm'of the blade and which engagesthe end of the recess 21 at the end 19 of the link when the handlemembers reach their required separation'limit and further outwardmovement of the members is prevented. By means of the compound linkage,movement of the handle members towards one another causes the cuttingedge of the blade to enter into the gap between the edges 8 of the limbsof the bifurcated portion 7 in a scissor action cutting the materialwhich is extended across the gap. Because the handle members are springurged apart the cutting edge is normally outside the gap. However acatch 28 pivotally mounted at an intermediate point in a cut-awayportion 29 of the face of the first handle member can be moved so that asear 30 formed in the catch engages an open-ended slot 31, provided inthe inwardly extending arm of the blade, when the handle members arebrought towards each other. The slot 31 is radial to the pivotal axis13, and holds the can opener in the closed position against the actionof the spring 24.

A flat piercing blade 32 of substantially pentagonal shape, as shown inFIGURE 2, is made from high carbon steel sheet and is formed with a pairof cutting edges 33 meeting in a point, each edge making the same anglewith the major axis of the piercing blade so that in plan view thepiercing blade resembles a rectangle with an obtuse angled isoscelestriangle constructed on one side as base. In both sides of therectangular portion of the piercing blade adjacent to the side on whichthe triangle is constructed recesses 34 are formed. A pair of hookmembers 35 are also flat and blanked from high carbon sheet steel, eachhaving a pair of notches 36, complementary in width to the sheetthickness of the piercing blade, directly opposite each other cut intoopposite side edges of the member, leaving a width of metal between theends of the recesses 36 sufiicient for the member to be received intothe recess 34 provided in the piercing blade. The arrangement is suchthat the piercing blade and the hook members are separably joinedtogether by a double H-type joint which prevents movement of the hookmembers separately from the piercing blade in the planes normal to theblade and parallel to its main axis. The hook members 35 are assembledparallel to each other and normal to the surface of the piercing bladeand close to its apex, so that the hooks over-lie one face of the blade,and are directed towards the apex as shown in the drawings. The hook andpiercing blade assembly is mounted on the bifurcated end of the firsthandle member so that the apex of the blade and the hooks are directedforwards that is, away from the axis of the handle,the surface of thepiercing blade opposite to that which the hooks overlie bearing againstthe inwardly presented edges of the handle member between the lugs andthe end of the limbs and against the spacing member 11, the edges andthe spacing member providing a flat surface supporting the piercingblade. The tails of the hook members 37 on that side of the piercingblade which bears against the inwardly presented edges and the spacingmember straddle the end of the handle member and the assembly is securedby a rivet 38 which passes through this portion of the hook members, thelimbs of the handle and the spacing member 11. To prevent possiblerotation of the assembly about the rivet 38 when the piercing blade isin use, the end of the pierc- 4 ing blade opposite the pointed endengages slots 39, FIGURE 1, provided in the lugs 10 adjacent theinwardly presented edges of the first handle member.

The hook and piercing blade assembly described is a preferred form butin an alternative assembly a single central hook member could be mountedin a plane parallel to that of the two said hook members and passingthrough the apex of the blade.

To open a can, the opener, preferably with the handle members closedtogether, is first applied to the can, as shown in FIGURE 3, in such away that the rim of the can, as indicated by reference 40 in the.drawing, is engaged by the hooks and the piercing blade is below thelevel of the hooks and opposite the side 41 of the can. To pierce thecan the opener is swung down about the line of engagement of the hooksand rim 40 in the direction indicated by the arrow to force the piercingblade through the wall 41 of the can, as shown in FIGURE 4, producing atrangular shaped opening 42 through the wall 41 just below the rim. Thepierced opening 42 is sufiiciently wide to enable the cutting blade topass easily into position for cutting, when the handles are releasedfrom the closed position. Cutting is done with a scissor action roundthe wallet the can, as shown in FIGURE 5, in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction whichever the user finds more convenient. The gapbetween the outwardly presented edge-s 8 of the bifurcated end of thefirst handle and the cutting blade is such that the material extendingacross the gap is bent into the gap between the limbs before actuallybeing cut. This action produces an outwardly directed lip 43, as shownin FIGURE 5, round the wall of the can and on each side of the cut. Toprevent the can slipping from between the cutting blade and theoutwardly presented edges 8v during the cutting operation the edges 8may be serrated.

What I claim is:

1. A can opener comprising in combination a first handle member having aportion bifurcated at one end to form two limbs having paralleloutwardly presented, concavely curved edges, a second handle memberpivoted at one end to the bifurcated end of said first handle member, afiat cutting blade lying between the limbs of said bifurcated portionand pivoted at an intermediate point to an intermediate point on saidfirst handle member and having an inwardly extending arm provided in itsedge adjacent said first handle member with an openended slot radial tosaid pivot of the blade and first handle member, and an outwardlyextending arm with a substantially straight inwardly presented,knife-edged cutting edge, a link pivoted at one end to the free end ofsaid inwardly extending arm. and pivoted at its other end to said secondhandle member, spring means urging the handle members apart and a catchpivotally mounted on said first handle member and having a searengageable in the closed position of the handle members with saidopen-ended slot.

2. A can opener comprising in combination a first handle member having aportion bifurcated at one end to form two limbs having paralleloutwardly presented edges, a second handle member pivoted at one end tosaidbifurcated end, a cutting blade lying between the limbs of saidbifurcated portion and pivoted at an intermediate point to anintermediate point in said first handle member and having an inwardlyextending arm and an outwardly extending arm with an inwardly. presentedcutting edge, a link pivoted at one endto said free end of handlemember; a cutting blade pivoted at an intermediate point to anintermediate point on said first handle memher and having a sharpenedcutting edge cooperating in scissor-like action with at least one edgeof said first handle member; a second handle member pivoted on saidfirst handle member; and linkage means interconnecting said cuttingblade and said first and second handle members for actuating saidcutting blade with mechanical advantage.

4. A can opener according to claim 3 and further comprising: springmeans connected between one of said handles and said linkage means forurging said handle members apart; and catch means positioned between oneof said handles and said linkage means for releasably retaining saidhandle members together against the action of said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS567,722 Pike Sept. 15, 1896 1,560,397 Perl et a]. Nov. 3, 1925 2,002,173Dougherty May 21, 1935 2,525,884 Forcum Oct. 17, 1950 2,723,451 FrankNov. 15, 1955

1. A CAN OPENER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FIRST HANDLE MEMBER HAVING APORTION BIFURCATED AT ONE END TO FORM TWO LIMBS HAVING PARALLELOUTWARDLY PRESENTED, CONCAVELY CURVED EDGES, A SECOND HANDLE MEMBERPIVOTED AT ONE END TO THE BIFURCATED END OF SAID FIRST HANDLE MEMBER, AFLAT CUTTING BLADE LYING BETWEEN THE LIMBS OF SAID BIFURCATED PORTIONAND PIVOTED AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT TO AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON SAIDFIRST HANDLE MEMBER AND HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ARM PROVIDED IN ITSEDGE ADJACENT SAID FIRST HANDLE MEMBE WITH AN OPENENDED SLOT RADIAL TOSAID PIVOT OF THE BLADE AND FIRST HAN-